The Indian cricket team, riding on high confidence with six consecutive wins, have arrived in Mumbai for a highly-anticipated showdown against Sri Lanka in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on November 2. The historical venue holds special memories of the 2011 World Cup final, and India is aiming for a semi-final berth with another triumph.
As the team arrived, fans were delighted to see India's captain, Rohit Sharma, in the company of his wife, Ritika Sajdeh. Alongside them were players such as Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and the Indian head coach Rahul Dravid, among others. Notably, the absence of Hardik Pandya due to an ankle injury was observed.
India's objective is to secure a semi-final spot with a victory over Sri Lanka, while Sri Lanka finds themselves in a must-win situation as they are currently competing against Afghanistan at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. India, buoyed by their consistent success, aims to extend their winning streak.
After their convincing win over England, India reclaimed the top position in the Cricket World Cup 2023 points table, accumulating a perfect 12 points. Their impressive net run rate of +1.405 further solidifies their position in the tournament. A victory against Sri Lanka would guarantee their place in the semi-finals.
On the other hand, the defending champions, England, are on the brink of elimination after enduring their fifth defeat in the tournament. South Africa are closely trailing India in second place, securing five wins and boasting a net run rate of +2.032, giving them a total of 10 points. Sri Lanka currently sits in fifth place with four points from five matches and a negative net run rate of -0.205.
England's next challenge will be a face-off against arch-rivals Australia on Saturday, November 4 in Ahmedabad.